Kate Winslet Files Libel Lawsuit

Every year, there are always a few celebrities involved in some type of lawsuit, whether it is against a large corporation or a small business.  However, celebrity lawsuits regarding libel or invasion of privacy are not as common.

In May 2009, Academy Award Winner, Kate Winslet, filed a libel lawsuit against the Daily Mail newspaper.  The London newspaper had published an article claiming Winslet lied about her exercise habits and referred to her as “the world’s most irritating actress.”  The feature also displayed naked photographs of the actress to further prove their argument.

Winslet insisted the organization’s publication had “injured her personal and professional reputation” because she is said to be a significant role model for young woman.  The case was later taken to London’s High Court in November 2009 where the court ruled in favor of Kate Winslet, awarding her with $41,000 in libel damage.  In a statement about her win, Winslet commented, “I strongly believe that women should be encouraged to accept themselves as they are, so to suggest that I was lying was an unacceptable accusation of hypocrisy.”

In my opinion, I completely agree with the ruling of this case.  Without question, this act, committed by the news organization, is both uncalled for and illegal.  By printing this article, the Daily Mail clearly violated the law of defamation, which is an unprotected form of expression.

According to Laws.com, this law oversees controversies dealing with slander and libel, “which are communicated statements that claim to be factual and done so in a way that is usually negative or harmful to another party.”

In Winslet’s case, the London newspaper printed falsified information about the actress’ exercising rituals; therefore, committing a libel action.  Winslet even stated that she was “…particularly upset to be accused of lying…and felt that I had a responsibility to request an apology in order to demonstrate my commitment to the views that I have always expressed about body issues, including diet and exercise.”

After reviewing many articles on this lawsuit (Us Magazine, BBC News, UPI.com), I believe Kate Winslet fully deserves the court’s settlement.  Since the Daily Mail has made a libel violation, it is only fair that the news organization pay the consequences.

A County Fair or Advertising Campaign?

Every fall, in my hometown of Frederick, Maryland, a family fair is held at The Great Frederick Fair Grounds.  So, on September 21, 2010, my family and I were eager to see what this year’s fair had in store for us.

Walking around the enormous grounds, I could not help but notice all of the advertisements and exhibitioners bombarding everyone attending the event.  Reflecting back on this memory, I realized that the organization holding this fair used two key public relation strategies in order to form a close relationship with the attendees: advertising and propaganda.

Advertising was no doubt the largest and most successful strategy used by various groups.  The fundamental plan of action was to display all ads throughout the campgrounds.  These ads included 99.9 WFRE Free Country radio station and WFMD radio station, AT&T Phone Company, the Under Armour brand, AAA (the American Automobile Association), BB&T and Sandy Spring Banking, Bud Light alcohol, and all Coca-cola products.  By placing numerous ads sporadically around the event, the public suddenly becomes intertwined in a world of advertisements.

All of the advertisements displayed at The Great Frederick Fair were nothing but successful.  While there were representatives and affiliates with the company to discuss their ads, the main angle used was to attract the audience through “give-aways.”  Examples of these “give-aways” included free t-shirts, pens, notepads, stickers, rubber bracelets, key chains, pins, rulers, pencils, and erasers.

Although this technique may not work for many adults, it is absolutely intriguing to all children and teenagers.  Growing up, I was astounded by all of the free “gifts” companies were just throwing at us.  However, now that I am older, I understand why advertisers were giving away small knick-knacks.  The genuine purpose of said companies was to influence young children to buy their product.  Whereas the children cannot afford to purchase the product(s) themselves, they may convince their parents to acquire the product for them.  The small rubber bracelet received from Under Armour Company may lead a child to nag their parents for a brand-new Under Armour t-shirt.  Ads are aimed to have a fast effect on the people, and children are generally their main target.

The second public relation strategy at the fair was the use of propaganda in order to manipulate public opinion and gain support for their program.  At the campground, there was a small building where several community organizations try to entice people to join.  For example, one group I saw was The First Baptist Church organization, located in Frederick, MD.

A kind member of the Church lured me in by offering me a free yard stick and a WWJD (What would Jesus do?) beaded bracelet.  However, she informed me that before I could receive the gifts, I would have to sit and listen to the Church members as they discuss their foundation and beliefs.

Even though propaganda has influenced me in the past, I found this technique to be unsuccessful because most people I knew, including myself, were already affiliated with a Church.  Therefore, it was of no interest to me.  On the other hand, I believe if the Church organization was really trying to recruit new members, they would have a better chance doing so at a smaller, more personalized event.

Despite the drastic uses of advertisements and propaganda, I plan to attend The Great Frederick Fair, once again, in the fall of 2011.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of…Product Placement?

The advertisers and producers of the film, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, used clever strategies and techniques regarding all product placement presented throughout the movie.

This fictional film tells the story of America’s #1 NASCAR driver, Ricky Bobby, along with his teammate and best friend, Cal Naughton, Jr.  After always winning every race, abiding by his slogan, “If you ain’t first, you’re last,” Ricky is faced with his most difficult challenge yet when French Formula One driver, Jean Girard, begins to show his compelling driving skills.

An extensive amount of products are shown in the film, ranging from food items to healthcare products.  Honestly, there is rarely a scene in the movie that does NOT contain product placement.  The following products are shown and/or discussed in the film: Wonder bread, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Dominos Pizza, Taco Bell, Coca-cola, Powerade, Perrie water, Big Red chewing gum, the Jack Hawk 9000 knife, Old Spice body care items, and Maypax tampons.

If you have seen, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, you are very likely to agree with me in saying that the audience definitely notices AND will remember these products after viewing the film.  The reason I feel so confident in stating this is because most of the products are either consistently displayed during the whole movie or discussed by the characters themselves.

For example, in the movie, Ricky Bobby’s two main sponsors are Wonder bread and Powerade.  These products, along with many others, are both shown and mentioned in various scenes.  One specific scene where these items appear is the dinner scene.  As the camera glides over all of the food and beverages on table, the audience comes face-to-face with products such as Dominos Pizza, Taco Bell, Powerade, Wonder bread, Coca-cola, and Kentucky Fried Chicken.  Minutes later, while Ricky is finishing grace, he even states, “I just want to say that Powerade is delicious.  It cools you off on a hot summer day.  And we look forward to Powerade’s release of Mystic Mountain Blueberry.”

The video below is another scene from Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby where product placement is used in a humorous manner.

As some of you may know, all real-life NASCAR drivers are sponsored by major brand names, including those of stores, beverages, food, phone companies, household products, etc.  Therefore, it makes logical sense for the producers to have the race cars and their drivers in the film represent these sponsors too.  However, since Ricky Bobby, Cal Naughton Jr., and Jean Girard are fictional characters, the filmmakers had to find other advertisers to sponsor them.

By inserting these products into the film, the advertisers and producers experience a win-win scenario.  While the advertisers have their product publicized to millions of viewers, the producers receive money for the actual movie.

Laugh, Live, Laugh

During my 19 years of existence I have read a wide variety of books and novels.  After reading non-fiction, fiction, “how-to,” and graphic books, I have finally read one that truly made a significant change in my life: The Comedy Bible, by Judy Carter.  This “how-to” book discusses the various aspects of comedy, teaching the reader important guidelines and tactics on how to become a better comic.

I was introduced to this book while taking a class this semester called, Techniques of Comedy.  As we were preparing to write our own 5-minute stand-up routine, I asked my professor if there were any books about the art and techniques of comedy.  Before I even finished my question, he interrupted, exclaiming, “Get Judy Carter’s book, The Comedy Bible!”

Later that evening, I logged onto the Internet and searched for the highly recommended book.  All of the reviews on The Comedy Bible had comments like “This is simply the best book on stand-up comedy,” and “If you are interested in writing comedy, jokes, sitcoms, or speeches, this is the book to buy.”  Since I knew learning comedy was not going to be an easy feat, I was surprised to see how this workbook would improve one’s comedic skills.  Seconds after reading the reviews, I ordered the book from Amazon.com, paying the extra ten dollars so it would be delivered within the next day.

Once I began reading The Comedy Bible, there was absolutely no way I could set it down.  The book is very intriguing and interactive because it takes the reader through all types of comedy, teaching him/her how to have a career performing and writing comedy, and turn life’s situations into comical stories.  Plenty of advice is also given to the reader “from comedy’s hottest stars, writers, producers, and agents.”  If you are deeply serious about comedy, there is even an extensive list of managers, agents, and comedy clubs provided in the appendix.

However, there is one particular segment of The Comedy Bible that really made me think about my future as a comedian.  In the section titled, 26 Days to Killer Comedy Material, I was expected to fulfill certain goals each day for approximately 3 weeks.  For example, the very first day’s goal was to get your first gig.  Even though I had absolutely no material or experience in this area, Carter suggests getting a gig will further motivate the reader to start thinking “comedy.”  Despite my brief hesitation, I did what I was told.

Completing this “Comedy Workshop” has been quite meaningful, expanding my passion for comedy.  Ever since I can remember, I have always taken pleasure in making people laugh through the use of physical comedy and telling stories of my amusing day-to-day life.  Now, I have marked an open-mic night on my calendar, and I am continuing to make my material more humorous, rich, and well-structured.  Although I will continue to read more books on comedy, in the end, The Comedy Bible has allowed me begin my journey towards crossing a wish off of my bucket list: performing stand-up in front of a live audience!

Disney Movies: Are They Appropriate For Children?

Beginning in 1938, with the successful release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney movies have now spawned into the 21^st century, creating a new era of entertainment for many families. However, there have been on-going arguments that Disney movies are negatively affecting children.  These claims involve Disney movie structures consisting of parental death, child abandonment, and single parent families.  Despite these ideals, I do not agree with this whole philosophy.

Disney's Movie Logo

Since I was born in the ‘90s, I grew up watching several Disney movies, including The Little Mermaid, The Lion King and Toy Story.  At such a young age, I never acknowledged the fact that Ariel’s mother was out of the picture or Simba’s father was murdered by his uncle.  Instead, I focused solely on the story of the characters.

After 19 years of existence, my family continues to be a significantly large part of my life, making me the person I am today.  Even though I was raised to behave in an appropriate manner, I feel Disney also played a role in answering my question, “Why are parents’ rules so important?”  I believe the Disney movie, The Lion King, addresses positive ideas, mainly listening and respecting your parents.

In the story of The Lion King, the lion King and Queen of the Pride Lands welcome their newborn cub, Simba, by presenting him to the hundreds of animals surrounding Pride Rock.  However, now that Simba is the new heir to the throne, his Uncle Scar is furious and devises a plan to become King himself.  An example of obeying your parents is conveyed when Simba is growing up, learning more about the Pride Lands and the forbidden Outlands.

Disney's The Lion King (1994)

One day, the young cub has a discussion with his Uncle Scar about how only the bravest lions go to The Elephant Graveyard, which is located in the Outlands.  Scar’s plan was to convince Simba to visit the graveyard, which would lead to three hyenas killing the heir to the throne.

Curious, Simba decides to ignore his father’s rule and venture to the Outlands with his friend, Nala.  During their dangerous escapade, Simba and Nala are eventually trapped by the hyenas and are about to be killed when Mufasa (Simba’s father) arrives and scares the hyenas off.

Once he rescued Simba and Nala, Mufasa is deeply upset with his son’s act of disobedience and demands they all return home.  If you wish, the scene described above can be viewed in the following clip:

I am sure you are asking, “So what does this scene have to do with honoring my parents’ rules?”  Well, Simba’s violation of his father’s rule can be related to a situation between any child and their parents.

For instance, when I was eight years old, I disobeyed my father by breaking one of his rules.  He told me not to go near the fenced-in herd of buffalo that were located deep in the woods behind our house.  Out of pure interest, I later went to this area and accidentally touched the electric fence encasing the buffalo.  I was surprised by the shock that coursed through both of my arms.

Fortunately, I was not injured, but I realized I had learned from this experience.  Sound familiar?  Following this accident, I always respected my parents’ rules and restrictions, keeping in mind the consequences of my actions.

Personally, I view Disney movies, such as The Lion King, to be a beneficial and fun way for children to learn about the importance of rules.  The real question is: How do you feel about the subject?  I know that to this day, I will continue watching Disney movies and will always remain a kid at heart.

University of Facebook

In the second generation of web-based technologies, there are several social networking sites easily accessible for many people.  This phenomenal development of computer-mediated communication now allows people to “stay connected,” whether or not they live in the United States or across the world.

Mark Zuckerberg

One of the most popular social networking sites used today is Facebook, which was created by software developer and internet entrepreneur, Mark Zuckerberg, in 2004 when he was only 20 years old.  According to Facebook’s Press Room, there are more than 500 million active users, 50% of those users logging on to Facebook in a given day.  The press room also mentions that users “spend over 700 billion minutes per month” on the site.  This may have you asking yourself, “Doesn’t this affect their lives in some form?”  The answer to this question is quite simple: yes.

Although Facebook has a wide variety of users, there is one specific group who has begun facing the effects of social networking use: high school and college students.  On the internet site, Social Media Optimization, a graph is displayed, showing the increasing percentages of college students who have used social networking sites from 2006 to 2008.  After reviewing the graph myself, I was shocked to see just how many students spend their free time in front of a computer screen.  Before I knew it, I was on my own computer researching these effects on students’ education.

Nowadays, colleges throughout the country have the ability to further research the students they are accepting.  For example, faculty members working for the Office of Admissions at Harvard College find using social networking sites, such as Facebook, helpful when interviewing possible applicants.

An interviewer at Harvard College, Allison Otis, said she has used Google to learn more about the students she interviews, checking for any careless and/or irresponsible online data.  Otis mentions that when she searches for students, their Facebook profile will usually appear within the search results.  This capability can be detrimental to students’ possibilities of acceptance.

As many of you may know, some students choose to post certain photos, videos, and pictures on their Facebook page that are inappropriate.  These could include the student engaging in underage drinking, drugs, or even illegal acts.  Although I personally do not understand why students would do such a thing, I agree with Otis’ comment that if you are going to upload these documents “just make it private.”  Otherwise, students are just putting themselves at risk of jeopardizing their future education.

Several people have also commented on how Facebook leads to less study time among college students, causing lower grades.  In an article in USA Today, Ohio State doctoral student, Aryn Karpinski, conducted a study to determine if there is a link between the use of Facebook and falling grades.

In the research, it was shown that students who used Facebook had grade-point averages between 3.0 and 3.5.  However, students who did not use the social networking site had grade-point averages between 3.5 and 4.0.

After the study, Karpinski explained that the “study is too narrow to conclude that Facebook and academics don’t mix.”  On the other hand, she continues to say that Facebook use and lower grades are “related somehow and we need to look into it further.”

So what do you think?  Is Facebook really affecting college students’ futures or are people just reading too much into the situation?  Based on what I have learned, I do not see this predicament going away any time soon.

NBC’s The Office Opens a New Branch…on the Internet

Spread throughout the United States, there are thousands of broadcasting companies each serving a specific purpose in society.  One such company is NBC, also known as the National Broadcasting Company.  The NBC television network provides primetime, daytime, and nighttime television shows all for their audiences’ viewing pleasure.

National Broadcasting Company

After watching The Office on NBC, I decided to visit the company’s official website to find out what else they had to offer to viewers.  Upon typing NBC into Google’s search engine, I learned this site advertises all of its popular programs.  Since I was specifically interested in The Office, I clicked on the link, “Shows,” which led me to “The Office”portion of the website.

Immediately the page loaded displaying all of the site’s features.  At the top of the page, a banner contained the following links: Main, About, Episode Guide, Video, Photos, Exclusives, Community, Games, and Shop.  The background was a bulletin board with various notes, folders, and advertisements attached.  The notes and folders focused solely on the show, pointing out its airtime (Thursdays at 9pm), recent episodes, as well as the next new episode.

On the other hand, the advertisements did not necessarily relate to The Office.  Instead, the ads included other shows on NBC, Netflix ads, Xfinity ads, social-networking sites (Facebook and Twitter), and the computer game site, King.com.  This format of office supplies represented The Office setting, intriguing all fans with the exclusivity of the site.

In regards to the value of the site, NBC’s “The Office”, I believe it provides several purposes for audiences, including entertainment, information, and even viewer participation.  As I commented earlier, The Office portion of the site has links to the show’s video exclusives, set photos, behind-the-scenes footage, blogs, games, and slide shows.  Not only can fans watch the show, they can now see what happens when the cameras aren’t rolling.  I found the games available to be quite entertaining too because I was able to test my knowledge on the characters, finish famous characters’ quotes, and challenge myself to office quizzes.

The information shared on the site allows fans to get a deeper look into the actors in the show.  Under the “About” category, people can read about the show itself, who is behind the scenes/credits, as well as biographies of the actors themselves.  I was surprised to learn about Steve Carell’s (a.k.a Michael Scott) acting history and his current film plans for the future.

As you probably guessed, the site has significant participatory value.  Aside from the videos, behind-the-scenes footage, and games, NBC also lists other sites you can view, providing ways to connect with other Office fans and characters’ blogs (SchruteSpace, Halpert Baby Blog, The Diabolical Blog, Creed Thoughts).  I found myself viewing these other sites and expanding my knowledge on the individual characters.

Throughout the entire website, there are various things one can do.  However, if I were to recommend one suggestion, it would be to mention The Office fan tours that take place in Scranton, Pennsylvania.  Since the show takes place in Scranton, PA, tours have developed, showing all of the area’s landmarks.  These sites include the mall at Steamtown, Cooper’s, Poor Richard’s, and Lake Scranton.  Fans are also absorbed into cast and crew “question-and-answer” sessions along with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from The Office set.  I believe this suggestion would create more interest in the show and expand its fan base.  All I know is I will definitely be attending an Office fan tour this summer!

Dodging the Media…Can You Do It?

My cell phone

It is accurate to say that throughout a typical day everyone is subjected to media, whether they try to avoid it or not.  On behalf of all “media-lovers,” I will admit I had extreme difficulty abstaining from all of the various types of media.  At one point in every day, I will use my cell phone, laptop, and/or TV for news and entertainment purposes.  Now, I was suddenly expected to avoid all media, if possible.  As you can imagine, this was no easy feat.

Normally, I will use my cell phone as an alarm clock to wake me up in the morning for my classes.  However, on Friday, February 18^th, 2011, my regular routine was modified.  Since my roommate has a class earlier in the morning, he was able to wake me up.  By doing so, he assisted me in dodging the use my cell phone.  “Well that wasn’t so bad,” I said to myself.  Despite this somewhat easy task, I knew I had a rough day ahead of me but was determined to steer myself away from my media-consuming habits.

Later in the day, I noticed my walk to the Media Center was rather quiet compared to earlier in the week.  Soon, I realized why: I was walking to class without my iPod.  Instead of listening to hip-hop or rock n’ roll on my iPod; I was overhearing the conversations of other students on their cell phones and the pitter-patter of everyone’s footsteps.  So far, I was successfully avoiding the media.  But like I said, the media will find you.

In class, the very first thing we did was watch a video on YouTube demonstrating what Facebook would be like in reality (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG-sTKtWXuA). Although it was related to the class and was entertaining, I just received my first glimpse of the day’s media.

The following day, I absorbed more media than I expected.  Between using the internet for homework, hearing the radio in the University Union hallway, and checking my personal and school e-mail, I probably consumed close to 3 hours of media.  You may think to yourself, “That’s not too bad,” but in reality, those are 3 hours I will not get back.

Looking back on this experience, I realize how much media is involved in my day-to-day life.  One way or another, I do consume media and spend a significant amount of time doing so.  Sure, I was successful at some times, but in the end, media was always right around the corner.

Can the Media Really Follow You?

Many people, including myself, once believed media could be avoided.  I found, however, this is very far from the actual truth.  In simple terms, media is EVERYWHERE!  Even if you try to avoid absorbing it through the TV, radio, or computer, the media will find you.

These are just a few of the many social networking sites.

On Wednesday, February 16^th 2011, I started everyday as usual, media and all.  Waking up to the alarm on my cell phone, I walked over to my laptop to check all updates via personal e-mail, school e-mail, Facebook, AIM, and many informative entertainment websites (Entertainment Weekly.com, People.com, E! online, etc.

It was not until I shut down my computer when I realized something: The first thing I did to start my day was consume media.  You may ask yourself, “Why?”  And to be completely honest, I do not know the answer to this question.  The only reasonable explanation I can think of is that since I have started every morning devouring media, it has now become a troubling habit.

After I had a dose of media consumption, I envisioned what the world would be like without it.  This would drastically affect all of our lives.  No more comedic or dramatic TV shows, no more rock n’ roll or hip hop music, and certainly no more use of social-networking sites.  How would we acquire entertainment?  How would we find out about news around the world?

Deep in thought, I didn’t recognize what I had been doing.  You guessed it!  The media and I had, once again, crossed paths.  I was listening to Rob Thomas’ “Her Diamonds” on my iPod.  Not only did I continue listening to my iPod throughout the day, I also checked my voice-mail and text messages on my cell phone.  It occurred to me that media is clearly plays a large role in my life.

NBC (National Broadcasting Company) is a popular television network.

The following day consisted of the same typical customs.  Nonetheless, it was later that evening when my roommate and I participated in a “media-filled” ritual, which began our freshmen year at Towson University.  Every Thursday evening, our friends gather in our dorm room and we all watch NBC’s hit TV shows Community, Perfect Couples, The Office, and Parks and Recreation.  Each show is roughly 22 minutes long with 8 minutes of advertisements and commercials in between.  This is a total of 2 whole hours of nothing but soaking up media.  To some, this appears as a complete and utter waste of time, but to others, it is their day-to-day routine.

Based upon my experience, coming into contact with the media is inevitable.  It is bound to happen at one point in your day.  Although you may try your hardest to shy away from it, the media will find you.